The Archos line input is a stereo input, meaning it needs a stereo plug
(as Timm said, two black lines on the plug.) Most single mics are mono
(one black line on the plug.) So to get stereo, you really need two
microphones and an adapter (RS has them I think) that takes two mono
plugs and translates them into a single stereo plug. I had to make my
own.

If you are getting only one channel and it is recording fine, then your
mic probably has a preamp (esp if it needs a battery and has on-off
switch) since a non-preamped mic would not record at all (in most
cases). So it sounds like the mic is OK but you need another mic for
true stereo (along with the y-adapter) or just record in mono with the
setup you already have (as Jean says.)

If it records OK all is well. Since you are in the Rockbox world the
one-channel output of your mike is no longer a problem : simply set
your recording to mono :
-> Recording settings -> Channels -> Mono
and your single input channel will be recorded on both channels.

Add Subtract wrote:

>Hi Jos,
>
>On the junky little microphone I tried at Radio Shack there was a
>battery on the cord with an on/off switch. Is this the preamp? It
>seemed to record ok, only on one channel.
>
>When you tried your little Sony mic, what happened? Did the Archos not

>record any sound at all?
>
>I told you I was dense LOL!!!!
>
>Add Subtract wrote:
>
>Hi,
>
>I'm looking to buy a Microphone for my new Archos Jukebox FM Recorder.
><snippage>
>
>I just want a semi decent microphone to record family history and also
>be able to use the mic with a cassette recorder also.
>
>Can anyone tell me if this particular Sony microphone will work well
>with the Archos?
>
>No, it won't.
>
>If not, does anyone know of another model of microphone similar in size

>and style to this Sony?
>
>I have a cute little tiny mic from Sony that's built right onto the
>mini plug, but it doesn't work either. The problem isn't the
>microphones. The issue is that the recorder's external input is a
>*line* level input, so in order to use a microphone with it, you need
>some sort of preamp. On the other hand, I get great recordings using
>the line out from either my Roland digital piano or my mixer.
>
>